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Overview

Cantona: A magnificent competition

(FIFA.com) Friday 2 November 2007

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It is a little after midday in Rio de Janeiro, which is another
way of saying it is baking hot. The France team have just completed
a training session and are trudging off towards the showers,
visibly exhausted and grateful for the rest. Their coach Eric
Cantona is not quite so desperate to switch off, however. After an
hour spent handing out orders, repositioning players and praising
their efforts, he is more than happy to answer a few questions for
FIFA.com.

Wearing a blue shirt and a big smile, the former Manchester
United star looks to be absolutely in his element. And so he might,
as he embarks on his third FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup as
mastermind of the French bid. His team were of course crowned
champions in 2005 after beating Portugal in the final, but last
year's semi-final defeat to Uruguay has left 'King
Eric' with the feeling that there is some unfinished business
to be attend to.

FIFA.com: With France kicking their campaign off on
Saturday, how do you intend to approach this third edition of the
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup?
Eric Cantona: It's a magnificent competition,
but a very difficult one, and we should know, having won it in 2005
before losing in the semi-finals the following year. The tournament
just keeps getting tougher and tougher, so we'll have to be at
100 per cent at every moment. The favourites are naturally the same
as ever, but countries like Russia, Argentina and Uruguay could
spring a surprise and get themselves involved in the fight for the
title.

France went into the competition as world champions last
year and failed to defend their trophy after struggling to qualify.
This time the qualifiers went by smoothly, so was 2006 just a case
of too much pressure?Brazil were simply the best team last year. And Brazil
were also a fair distance ahead of the rest the year before, even
if it was us who managed to win the title. In 2006, we only lost
out in a penalty shoot-out in the semis, so I don't think
pressure played too big a role. That said, I love it when my team
feels pressure. It's a necessary and positive thing, and having
pressure means you're seen as one of the favourites. Pressure
is what allows you to concentrate, to work hard, to not give up, to
try to predict every little detail, to play as well as you can and,
lastly, to enjoy yourself and not come away with regrets. After
all, the ultimate goal remains having fun. But, of course, the
hardest thing of all is finding that balance between having fun and
getting results.

What lessons have you learned from the qualifiers and your
preparations for this tournament?We played very well this summer. Portugal may have won the
final, but I think we were the best team in Europe. We've
managed to improve our game too. Two years ago, we were happy
enough waiting for the ball before starting moves, but we've
made a lot of progress in physical terms since then. We can close
opponents down and we don't give them any time to play.
It's a new dimension to our game which can frustrate the more
expansive teams, especially Brazil. And when Brazil are under
pressure, they're just not the same side. Like the All Blacks
in rugby, they're not used to other teams getting in their
face, and when that happens they become a lot weaker.

Brazil go in as favourites, while, Portugal, Spain and
France are the best Europe has to offer. Do you think those teams
are a cut above the rest?In every sport, there's a small list of teams that can
hope to go all the way. Beach Soccer is no different, with Brazil,
Portugal, Spain and France the serious pretenders to the title. But
I'm also wary of Argentina and Uruguay, who have made huge
progress and are very strong both mentally and physically.

Your opening game is against the United Arab Emirates. Are
you pleased to be starting against a team most people expect you to
beat?It's a match that will be both very important and
difficult. There's no question of taking them lightly:
they're an opponent we take very seriously and one that'll
give us a real test. Plus they have a skilful coach (Marcelo
Mendes) who knows a lot about beach soccer. But we play every game
to win, in the hope that we can go on to win the whole competition.
We're fully capable and, if possible, we'd like to do it in
style
.

Your squad is fairly young, with a few older players also
included. What do both age groups bring to the table?A young squad is indispensable in a sport that's
becoming more and more physical. But those younger players need
examples and leaders to follow. The more experienced players have
to show true leadership, which means being the first to arrive at
training, never letting your head drop and always encouraging your
team-mates. Meanwhile, the younger players bring their passion and
freshness. Passions have to be channelled, though, and once again
the hardest thing is finding the right balance.

For a long time, your name was associated with Manchester
United. Nowadays, for many, the first thing that comes to mind is
beach soccer. Does that mean you have finally succeeded in raising
the game's profile?Above all, I'm proud that beach soccer has been
legitimised, with its own fans and its own stars. Our promotional
efforts have paid off with the involvement of FIFA, the member
associations and Beach Soccer World Wide. We worked hard and we
worked well. A few years ago, spectators came to see former
professionals putting on a show on sand. Now, they come to watch a
sport they enjoy. They're no longer here to see Zico, Romario
or Cantona: they're here to see Madjer, Amarelle, Jeremy
Basquaise and Junior Negao. For me, that's the biggest
breakthrough of all.